Predictions

Obvious game day prediction: Nathan MacKinnon moves ahead of Mark Arcobello for the rookie assists lead when he picks up two tonight.

No-so-obvious game day prediction: Luke Gazdic will score the Oilers' only goal, crashing hard to the net and redirecting Anton Lander's shot past Colorado's goaltender.

Jonathan Willis is a freelance writer.
He currently works for Oilers Nation, Sportsnet, the Edmonton Journal and Bleacher Report.
He's co-written three books and worked for myriad websites, including Grantland, ESPN, The Score, and Hockey Prospectus. He was previously the founder and managing editor of Copper & Blue.

It's a damn good thing the majority of the players showed up and played tonight. it shows Eakins CAN motivate and hasn't lost the room, which I think was a valid worry. This drubbing should go a long way towards better cohesion on the ice night in night out. I don't think the score was necessarily reflective of the state of the game all around, Larsen and Potter had some real scrambly moments but Dubnyk had some huge stops at the right times. All around, with the lines blendered and this outcome, this should do a lot towards the confidence of the team/with on another. Not complaining whatsoever, that was a treat to watch Varlamov fill the role that has so often been on our side...PRAY HE IS THE STARTER FOR THE RUSKIS IN SOCHI.

8-2 and the defence looked the best it has in probably the whole season. defense by committee instead of giving Petry all those minutes he can't handle. Marincin was solid and he makes his size be felt even with that lanky frame. That third line was rock n roll. The fourth line looked really solid. 5 of the top six were very engaged, Gagner needs a trip to the press box. Arcobello either made Eakins eat his words from the other day or showed Eakins is a maquiavellic motivator. Eakins wins round one on the battle of the rookie coaches.
I admit I thought it was going to be a score like this but the other way. Nice to be wrong.

1. Oilers win by 6 goals=highly unlikely to re-occur.
2. On TSN the Oilers win gathers nil comments as of 04h47MT. Habs win gathers 6 full pages of comments. Hmmmm.
3. Saturday vs Calgary will see what Oilers have as a team.

I try and not judge or criticize coaching and GMing decisions since I am aware I don't have the expertise nor the inside knowledge MacT or Eakins has. That said, this defense that is dressing tonight really tests my conviction to that Philosophy....,REALLY tests it

For a night, the Oilers taught the Avalanche what it feels like to be the Oilers.

Seriously though, demoting Belov ranks right up there with trading Smid for magic beans and demoting/sitting Arcobello with the head-scracher moves that are starting to remove scalp.

My gut agrees about all three. Smid, Arco & Belov. Not moves I would have done...

BUT
- Team went 4-1 in the games Arco sat
- Before Smid trade we had 3 wins on the season, now we have 10.
- Team is 1-0 after demoting Belov

Sample sizes really small obviously, but could it be that the coach, who spends 80 hours per week with his team has a better read on the players than us fans? Just sayin....

If they can beat the Flames (hopefully 8-2, but I'll take any win) for me it'll be reason to believe the corner has turned. Like everyone, I'm skeptical from being burned so many times. But 7-3 in the last 10 is nothing to shrug off. Unless you want to also shrug off the sh1taneous first 15 games.

I ended up black out drunk in the arms of two fine Russian women one was 6'2 the other was 6'1 and drop dead gorgeous. They both did not speak english really well but from the story they tell it went like this.

They came into the bar at around 7:20pm and I was bitching about Klowe MacT and the old boys and they assumed I was Katz and I went home with them.

I then had a dream that I awoke to the Oilers beating the Avs 8-2 and Taylor Hall having a awesome 4 point night, Smyth looked like a hockey god apparently and Arcobello took the Assist lead away from that kid MacKinnon.

So one of these is reality and one is a dream I am just not sure which at this point.

I was at a Christmas party last night and when I got home and looked up the score, I had to read it twice to make sure that it was Edmonton who had won 8-2. What the heck???

In accordance with recent tradition, does this mean that the lineup is set for the next game?

Also, when I read the score and saw that Varlamov was the goalie for all eight goals against, my first thoughts were "please tell me that he was ticked that Roy didn't pull him sooner, and that he asked for a trade right after the game..."

Human nature to get too high on a big win and too low on a big loss
One of those nights when everything's going in for one team. First goal - Av's all over the Oilers - one of our guys breaks a stick and Hall fly's out of the zone and happens to connect to a hail Mary? Unorthodox way to start a game but it works and they were away to the races. Don't be surprised if this is merely a mirage and Eakins should get those more experienced d men back in the line up sooner than later.

Good to see the Oilers beat a better team, but I think we should temper the optimism a bit. Some folks here are planning the parade, but it's gonna take a whole lot more than one win to make me believe they've turned any kind of corner.

Good to see the Oilers beat a better team, but I think we should temper the optimism a bit. Some folks here are planning the parade, but it's gonna take a whole lot more than one win to make me believe they've turned any kind of corner.

Can't we just enjoy a nice win and start up the Doom and Gloom after the next loss????

Good to see the Oilers beat a better team, but I think we should temper the optimism a bit. Some folks here are planning the parade, but it's gonna take a whole lot more than one win to make me believe they've turned any kind of corner.

Would 7-3 in the last 10 games cause you to think they've turned the corner? Cause thats what the "last 10 games" line will show after we beat the Shames tomorrow. 7-3 is a good stretch for any team.

I fully get the scepticism. We've been burned SOOOO many times by this team. But I think people are being overly negative now. We had a terrible start. But since then its been about as per expected. A middling, not quite playoff team. Not great, but surely not as bad as the first 20 games.

I had to laugh when J Shultz was skating away sheepishly and Acro came in guns a blazing to defend Dubnyk. There was no other oiler around. Eakins has to show that clip to the room to shame them into growing some balls or at least acting like they have a pair.

I had to laugh when J Shultz was skating away sheepishly and Acro came in guns a blazing to defend Dubnyk. There was no other oiler around. Eakins has to show that clip to the room to shame them into growing some balls or at least acting like they have a pair.

I think if Justin Schultz took off his pantyhose he would play a tougher game.

I had to laugh when J Shultz was skating away sheepishly and Acro came in guns a blazing to defend Dubnyk. There was no other oiler around. Eakins has to show that clip to the room to shame them into growing some balls or at least acting like they have a pair.

At least pair J Shultz with someone that stands up for his goalie and teammates.Say a guy like Smid.Oh wait.